12th or 12nd – Which is Correct?
When it comes to expressing ordinal numbers, many English learners often find themselves in a state of confusion. One common area of uncertainty is knowing how to correctly write the ordinal form of the number 12. Is it “12th” or “12nd”? Let’s learn this topic and clarify the correct usage once and for all.
To put it simply, the correct way to express the ordinal form of the number 12 is “12th.” The suffix “-th” is used to indicate that a number is in the ordinal form, meaning it is being used to refer to a position or order in a series. This form is consistent with other numbers ending in “2,” such as “2nd,” “22nd,” and “102nd.”
To understand why “12th” is the correct form, let’s take a look at some examples. Imagine you are organizing a race, and you have numbered the positions of the finishers. The person who crosses the line first would be in 1st place. The second person would be in 2nd place, the third in 3rd place, and so on. If you had 12 participants, the one who finishes twelfth would be in 12th place. It’s as simple as that!
Now, let’s consider a few more examples to solidify our understanding. If you are at the grocery store and need to locate the twelfth aisle, you would look for the sign that reads “12th aisle.” Similarly, if you are planning a friend’s birthday party and want to reserve a table for twelve people, a restaurant might inquire, “Are you booking for the 12th?” Again, we see the consistent usage of “12th” to indicate the twelfth position or order.
In contrast, the form “12nd” does not exist in the English language. Apart from being a non-existent word, it simply does not make logical sense. Why would we need to create a new form for the number 12 when we already have a consistent pattern for expressing ordinal numbers ending in “2”? It would be like saying “eleventeenth” instead of “eleventh.” It just doesn’t work!
To sum up, the correct way to express the ordinal form of the number 12 is “12th.” This suffix consistently applies to numbers ending in “2” and is used to indicate a position or order in a series. Remember, the English language has its fair share of irregularities, but fortunately, this is not one of them. So, the next time you need to use the ordinal form of the number 12, go ahead and confidently write “12th.” You can count on it being correct!